Cuttlesoft's name is a mashup of cuttlefish, the startup's logo and inspiration as an adaptable animal, and software, the startup's bread and butter. In less than two years, Valcarcel and Morehouse have worked side by side building a tech-based company specializing in IT and software services, consulting, auditing and web applications for its growing list of clients.

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Now they'e preparing to work in dual time zones as it opens a second office in lower downtown Denver. The company -- the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce's 2016 Startup of the Year -- wanted to expand to a market with a robust tech presence. The finalists? Denver and Raleigh, North Carolina.

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"We wouldn’t be there or growing and expanding our business in both places if we hadn’t gotten started here," Valcarcel said. "If we had moved to Silicon Valley … I don’t think we would have had the capital to break ground."